Michael Malone was deeply hurt when the Denver Nuggets fired him as their head coach last April. Aside from spending the last 10 years in Mile High and leading the franchise to its first-ever NBA title in 2023, Malone was given the pink slip with three games left in the 2024-25 regular season. His team was in fourth place in the Western Conference standings with a 47-32 record.
Of course, Malone did not take his firing well, and there were reports that he was not calm when the news was delivered to him. That wasn’t a surprise, though, given his fiery personality. Five months later, he accepted his fate — thanks to a former boss who had always been there for him.
“You know Jeff Van Gundy, who again had a lot to do with me and my NBA career. He gave me great advice after I got fired. He said, ‘Don’t focus on the negative. You’re mad, you’re upset, you’re emotional.’ He goes, ‘Take a deep breath, take a step back, and think about all the great things that you accomplished.’ And that’s what I’ve tried to do,” said Malone.
The Nuggets fired Malone before the playoffs
Jeff Van Gundy and Malone go a long way back. Michael’s late father, Brendan, was an assistant coach for Jeff in New York. The younger Malone also got his first NBA job with the Knicks as a coaching associate who edited scouting reports under Van Gundy in 2001.
Jeff left the Knicks in 2002, while Malone stayed in New York until 2005. Their paths never crossed again in the NBA, but they stayed in touch outside of it. Michael eventually got his first head coaching gig in Sacramento, but he was fired after just 106 regular-season games. Denver hired him right away, and in 2023, he led the Nuggets to the first championship in franchise history.
However, with the Nuggets struggling to close out the 2024-25 season, they fired Malone because they feared falling to the play-in tournament. With barely days to go before the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Malone wasn’t thrilled. But since then, JVG has taught him to look at the other side of the fence.
“Was I happy I got fired? Of course not,” he continued. “But Josh Kroenke and Stan Kroenke were always great to me and my family. I had a 10-year tenure there. We did win a championship. My daughters were able to stay here and graduate high school. This has become home.”
“The fans in Denver are nothing but gracious and respectful to me and my family. So I’m taking the high road. I’m thankful for the opportunity. I reflect. I learn, and hopefully next time I get a chance, I’ll be better. That’s all I can ask for,” he added.
Mike is now on ESPN
Malone was not jobless for long, however. ESPN hired him to help break down the 2025
NBA Playoffs and the network was impressed with his performance that it announced earlier this month that the former Nuggets head coach will be a full-time analyst for the “NBA Countdown” show. But while Malone is excited about his new gig, he said a couple of days ago that he still wants to coach again in the NBA.
“In my heart, I’m a coach. I’m the son of a coach. It’s definitely something I’d love to get back in. I still have a bad taste in my mouth with how things ended in Denver, and I’d love to go out on my own terms,” he admitted.
With the offseason’s coaching vacancies already filled in, Malone’s return to coaching will have to wait until the next one is fired. When that happens, though, it’s unclear, but what’s good is that he’s in a good place now. Thanks to JVG.